13/07/2026
PREVENTION IS CHEAPER THAN TREATMENT!
🦟 "It was just a cough..." 💔
That's what many pet owners think.
A little cough. Sleeping more than usual. A slightly swollen belly. It doesn't always seem like an emergency... until it is.
This week, one of our patients came to us with a constant cough, a bloated abdomen, and very little energy. During our examination, we looked at a blood sample under our microscope kindly donated by Dr. Livia and what we found was heartbreaking.
Tiny baby heartworms (microfilariae) were moving through the dog's bloodstream.
Finding these under the microscope tells us that adult heartworms are already living in the heart and blood vessels, where they've matured and started reproducing. By this stage, the disease is already causing damage to the heart and lungs.
The good news? ❤️ This owner brought their dog in before it was too late, and treatment has already begun.
So... how does heartworm happen?
🦟 Stage 1 – The Bite You Never Notice
It all starts with a mosquito bite. An infected mosquito passes tiny heartworm larvae into your dog's body.
Symptoms: None. Your dog looks perfectly healthy.
🐾 Stage 2 – The Silent Journey
Over the next few months, the larvae travel through the body, growing without you ever knowing they're there.
Symptoms: Still none.
❤️ Stage 3
Reaching the Heart
Around 4–6 months later, the worms reach the heart and lungs, where they become adults.
You may notice:
• An occasional cough
• Getting tired more easily
• Not wanting to play or exercise as much
• Loss of appetite
⚠️ Stage 4
Advanced Heartworm Disease
As the worms multiply, they begin damaging the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. They also release microscopic babies (microfilariae) into the bloodstream the very ones we found under the microscope.
Symptoms can include:
🐶 Constant coughing
🐶 Extreme tiredness
🐶 Difficulty breathing
🐶 Weight loss
🐶 A swollen or bloated belly
🐶 Collapse in severe cases
Without treatment, heartworm disease can become fatal😢.
💡 Here's the part we wish every pet owner knew...
Heart worm is far easier and far less expensive to prevent than to treat. Monthly prevention and yearly testing can protect your dog from a disease that often shows no warning signs until serious damage has already been done.
We're incredibly grateful to Dr. Livia for donating the microscope that helped us detect this infection. Every diagnosis we make with it gives another pet a better chance at recovery.
❤️ Please don't wait until your dog is coughing or looking sick. Talk to your local vet about heartworm prevention and annual testing.
One mosquito bite can change everything but prevention can too.
Peep comments for life cycle of the heart worm and a great example of ascites caused by the heart worm.
